There seems to have been a lot of interest and solutions created for converting other file formats to something viewable on Kindle, but what about the other way around. Are there any solutions yet for getting from Kindle's .azw and converting to a non-encrypted file of .pdf, .doc, .lit, or HTML?

#2 igorsk 05-09-2008, 08:51 AM

AZW files are just .mobi files. Once you remove DRM, you can use for example mobiperl tools.

#3 TallMomof2 05-09-2008, 11:00 AM

Many of the AZW files aren't DRMed so all it takes is changing the file extension to .mobi

#4 JSWolf 05-18-2008, 01:01 PM

Quote igorsk

AZW files are just .mobi files. Once you remove DRM, you can use for example mobiperl tools.

Not in every case. I'm finding some Mobi eBooks are created using high compression. Mobiperl won't handle those.

#5 wallcraft 05-18-2008, 04:32 PM

I agree that many AZW files use the high compression option. Perhaps Amazon is trying to save on Whispernet costs. In any case, mobi2oeb format shifts any DRM-free MOBI file to HTML and images (the .opf file it produces only contains the bare minimum of info though). It is part of calibre.

#6 TantricWarrior 05-19-2008, 07:19 PM

Quote TallMomof2

Many of the AZW files aren't DRMed so all it takes is changing the file extension to .mobi

How does/can one tell (from looking at the Amazon page) if it is DRM'd or not? Or can you only tell once it is downloaded?

#7 Kingston 05-19-2008, 10:44 PM

Quote TantricWarrior

How does/can one tell (from looking at the Amazon page) if it is DRM'd or not? Or can you only tell once it is downloaded?

Often, if no sample is offered the book is drm free. But not always. If the file name is a number and not a word it often means no drm...but again, not always.

Usually only smaller books (less than 200 pages or so) have no drm. But not always...

#8 JSWolf 05-27-2008, 02:12 AM

In English, there is no way to tell short of buying the eBook. But, there is also no way of knowing ahead of time if you'll get AZW or Topaz.

#9 wallcraft 05-27-2008, 12:11 PM

Quote JSWolf

In English, there is no way to tell short of buying the eBook. But, there is also no way of knowing ahead of time if you'll get AZW or Topaz.

I assume that the sample chapter (if available) will be in the same format as the full ebook. One reason an ebook might be in Topaz is to use a different font, but the font used can be terrible. If there is no sample and the ebook ends up in Topaz with a non-standard font, then this is a perfectly good reason to return the ebook and if enough Kindle owners return Topaz ebooks perhaps Amazon and publishers will get the message that Topaz is a bad idea.

#10 JSWolf 05-27-2008, 12:15 PM

Or they might get the idea that Topaz is a good idea since the DRM cannot (currently) be removed.